Love The One You're With
by Northern-Southern Belle
Summary: Emma Swan, a lonely subway clerk, admires handsome businessman Killian Jones from afar. When she saves him after he's pushed onto the subway tracks, a mix up at the hospital leaves his family believing that the two are engaged, even though they've hardly spoken. Things get even more complicated when she falls in love with his brother, Neal instead. One-Shot. Neal/Emma


Disclaimer: Only plot belongs to me!

Emma Swan looked up just briefly from the travel magazine she was reading to catch a glimpse of the handsome young man who was approaching her booth. She didn't know much about him, other than that his name was Killian Jones, he was a businessman, and he had the most wonderful wavy brown hair and blue eyes she'd ever seen. He was the one thing she had to look forward to during her boring days of being a token taker for the subway.

And now, it being Christmas day and all, she decided once and for all that this was the day she would make her move. He approached her booth, and smiled, dropping his token in her slot. "Merry Christmas," he said to her. She then opened her mouth and to her utter horror, nothing came out but a loud, guttural noise, instead of the dinner invitation that she'd wanted to give him. Once he was gone, she put the magazine down, and hit the counter with her open palm. "Merry Christmas to you too," she told herself. "You're very handsome, let's have dinner. I love you...oh, god!" She slammed her head against the counter a couple of times and when she looked up again, she saw him conversing with two men near the subway tracks. Then, she watched in shock as they robbed him and took off, leaving him unconscious and bleeding on the tracks as the next train approached.

"Oh, shit," she whispered, running from her booth and onto the tracks as she tried to shake him awake. "Sir?" She cried. "Can you hear me? You have to get up now. The train is coming and it's very fast!"

But he wouldn't wake up, and as the train got closer and closer, she finally decided to roll him off the tracks and hope that they wouldn't get hit.

After the train was gone, she called emergency and rode with him in the ambulance, trying not to notice that he smelled really, really good. As they rolled the stretcher away from her, she tried to see him, but they wouldn't let her because she wasn't family. Sighing, she muttered "I was gonna marry him" to herself, not noticing the plump, bright-eyed, redheaded nurse who was standing near the registration desk. She cautiously approached Emma and got her attention. "Excuse me," she said. "That man they just brought in, would you like to see him?"

"Oh, yes," Emma nodded. "I would love to. But they won't let me cause they say I'm not family enough or something."

"Oh, of course you are!" The nurse replied. "Come on!"

Amazed by her good luck, Emma followed the nurse to Killian's room where the woman urged her to sit at the unconscious man's bedside. "Let him hear your voice," the nurse urged. "That often helps coma patients." Emma nodded and thanked her, but before she could say anything, several other people burst into the room, shouting angrily.

"How in the world did this happen?" A man cried.

"How could he be in a coma on Christmas?" A woman wailed.

"He's not dead, is he?" asked a teenage girl.

Then, they saw Emma. "Who are you?" The man asked.

"She's his fiancee," the nurse said in confusion. "Isn't she?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," the woman said, coming to embrace Emma. "It's just that we haven't seen him in a long time, so we didn't know." With tears in her eyes, she released Emma and said, "I always wanted him to find a nice girl. It's wonderful he found you!" Having said this, she lapsed into tears and squeezed Emma again.

After that, Emma took a relieved breath as they all stepped away from her and went to examine the patient, going on and on about how good he looked. When they headed out, (after giving Emma their home number so she could come join them to celebrate the holidays) she grabbed the nurse by the arm. "Why did you tell those people I was this man's fiancee?"

"Well in the waiting room, didn't you say you were gonna marry him?" She asked. "You did. I heard you!"

Emma groaned and rolled her eyes. "I was _talking_ to myself for god's sake! I didn't mean it!"

"Yes, well, next time you do that, tell yourself you're single, and end the conversation!" The nurse replied. "That way, mistakes like this won't happen!" She then strode off, leaving Emma to ponder what she was going to do next.

* * *

><p>Although it seemed a bit wrong, Emma decided to join Killian's family for Christmas after all, something she was glad she did, especially when they were so enthusiastic seeing her show up at their front door.<p>

"Come in, come in!" Killian's mother urged. "I made egg nog! We have presents! Welcome!"

"Presents?" Emma laughed uncomfortably. "I hope none of those are for me..." She held up the admittedly cheap bottle of wine she'd brought. "I don't have a lot to give you in return."

"Oh, don't be silly," her 'mother in law' said, urging her into a chair. "It's a holiday. Enjoy!" She took the wine Emma had brought and urged her to open her small pile of presents when the door opened again and another man walked though it, making Emma freeze.

"Sorry I'm late," a man with curly brown hair, dark eyes, and a lovely smile said. "The roads were terrible." He advanced into the living room and paused when he saw Emma. "Well, hello," he told her. "I don't remember meeting you before."

"Neal, this is your brother's fiance," his mother told him. "Killian got into a terrible accident and she saved his life!"

"You_ did_?" Neal asked in amazement.

"I didn't really do much," Emma blushed. "He got robbed and pushed onto the tracks when the train was coming and I, stupidly, jumped onto the tracks to rescue him. It was an idiotic move really. Not heroic at all."

"Even so," Neal replied, locking eyes with her. "Thank you for looking out for my brother."

"You're...you're welcome," Emma replied. He took her hand and held it for a long moment before letting it go and sitting down across the living room from her to open his own presents, and drink egg nog, all while gazing at her with a smirk on his face.

* * *

><p>The next afternoon, Neal offered to take Emma back to her apartment.<p>

"Oh, you don't have to," Emma said. "I mean, I brought my own car, and since we just met, I don't want you to feel forced into anything."

"It's no trouble, really," Neal replied. "And actually, your car isn't outside anymore. It looked like there was something wrong with it, so I drove it to a mechanic friend of mine to have it checked out. I'll give them your address and he can drop it off when he's done. I'd be happy to chauffeur you until then."

"Well, thank you," Emma smiled. "That was very sweet of you. And I guess that means I'm more than happy to take you up on your offer of a ride home."

"Good," Neal replied. "My truck is right outside." Emma got up to go with him, and his mother called out, "You take care of her, Neal. She's part of this family now."

"Don't worry, Mom," Neal called back. "I will." He gave Emma an apologetic look as they made their way down the front steps. "Sorry about my mom," he apologized. "She can be a bit...suffocating."

"Oh, I don't mind," Emma replied. "Haven't had much of a family life for awhile myself. My mom died when I was born and my dad got sick and died a few years ago. I've been on my own for awhile now, and it's nice to be part of a family again."

"You miss your dad?" Neal asked.

"Yeah," Emma nodded. "I do."

Neal helped her into the truck and they started driving away.

"What do you remember most about him?" Neal asked.

"He was always really enthusiastic about travel," Emma replied. "Even if we were just going down the block, he could make other places seem so exotic. I haven't had a lot of chances to travel, but...I'm gonna to to Florence soon."

"Italy?" Neal asked. "Interesting. I've never been there, but the Gothic architecture has always intrigued me. I wouldn't mind going either."

* * *

><p>When they reached Emma's building, they got out of Neal's truck and discovered with dismay that there was a large patch of ice on the sidewalk in front of the building.<p>

"All right," Neal told her. "If we're gonna get past this, I'm gonna need you to hold my hand and hold it tight."

"Are you sure?" Emma asked. "Cause if we're holding hands and you fall, you're gonna take me down with you. Or vice versa."

"That's okay," Neal replied. "Just give me your hand and be careful."

Cautiously, Emma took Neal's hand and they slowly made their way across the patch of ice. Suddenly, Emma felt her foot slide out from underneath her, and Neal grabbed her tight to stop her from falling, but that made _him_ lose his balance, and they fell on the ice with Neal managing to move in just such a way that he landed on the ice and Emma landed on him, kissing him unintentionally, and making it last longer than she meant to cause it felt surprisingly good.

It was Neal who finally broke the kiss and stared at her in shock.

"What was _that?"_ Emma asked, her eyes sparkling as she burst into laughter, breaking the tense silence. "You're really graceful, you know that?"

"I know," Neal grinned. He helped her up and then realized that the back of his jeans were wet.

"I think I sat in water," he said as they made their way to the door. "You wouldn't happen to have an extra pair of pants in your apartment, would you?"

"I don't think you'd fit into my pants," Emma replied. "If you do, I'll be very shocked. But on the bright side, I have a hair dryer we can use to dry you off."

Neal shrugged. "Thanks," he said. "I guess that's better than nothing."

"Just don't fall again," Emma replied.

"I'll try not to," Neal told her as they took careful steps toward the door. "I promise."

* * *

><p>"I think I'm in trouble!" Emma told her friend Elsa who worked with her at the train station as they watched the New Years' Eve rush go on. "I think I've done something really, <em>really<em> bad!"

"Oh, what is it?" Elsa asked with a smile. "I know you. It couldn't be that awful! And I hope you had a good Christmas. I missed having you around this year."

"It was good, thanks," Emma nodded. "But _that's_ the really bad thing I did!"

"How could not spending Christmas with me be bad?" Elsa asked.

"Well, remember how I told you about the man I saved after he was robbed and got knocked onto the tracks?"

"The one you've had your eyes on forever?" Elsa asked knowingly. "The one that's in the hospital? Yeah, I remember. What about him?"

"Well, I was talking to myself after he got brought in, and that led the nurse to think he and I were engaged, and she told his family, and now they love me," Emma confessed. "Isn't that _awful?"_

"Not as awful as it could be," Elsa replied. "Just explain that it was a genuine mistake and they'll probably forgive you. Heck, they might even thank you for being there for them while their son was in a coma."

"Maybe," Emma replied. "But that's not all. I also met his brother, who, according to his mother, is also unattached. She asked me to find a girlfriend for him!"

"Oh, what's he look like?" Elsa smiled. "Is he my type?"

"I don't know," Emma replied. "And if he is, you can have him. Cause otherwise I'd go after him myself, cause I like him too. He's so nice! And really, _really_ cute. You see how screwed up I am? I like him _and_ I'm allegedly engaged to his brother, who's in a coma! I don't know about myself anymore."

"It'll be fine," Elsa replied. "Like I said, just wait until he wakes up and explain everything. It won't be forever."

"Oh, I hope not," Emma replied, hugging herself. "I can't take this much longer."

* * *

><p>Luckily, she didn't have to wait much longer. Neal called her up on New Year's day as she was putting her Christmas decorations away.<p>

"Killian's awake!" He cried. "What do you say you come down to the hospital with me? I'm sure he'll be glad to see you."

"Oh, I don't know," Emma replied quickly. "I'm kind of busy, and-"

"Come on," Neal urged. "Please?"

"Fine," Emma replied, knowing the spit was about to hit the fan. "Come to my apartment. I'll be waiting for you."

"Must be a relief for you that Killian's awake," Neal said as he and Emma drove to the hospital.

"Oh, yeah," Emma nodded. "Sure. Although you and your family have been wonderful helping me through this tough time. Especially you."

"It's nothing," Neal replied. "I just wanted to make you feel as welcome to the family as everyone else did. I mean, sure there was that kiss we had under the mistletoe (which I hope wasn't too presumptuous) but that was purely out of tradition. I wasn't trying to, you know, move in on your relationship with my brother or anything."

"And that's just how I took it," Emma replied. "Don't worry."

"Good," Neal replied as his mother ran toward them with tears in her eyes, yelling about how Killian was finally awake.

Taking a deep, stabilizing breath, Emma kept her hand in Neal's as they walked to Killian's room with the rest of the family and stood around his bed. As he looked around at all of them, Emma waited for the axe to fall, which it did almost immediately. Or so Emma thought.

"Who are you?" He asked her.

"I think I'll just go now," Emma turned around and tried to leave, but Neal kept his hand in hers. "What do you mean?" He asked his brother. "You don't remember her?"

"Vaguely," Killian nodded. "But I couldn't tell you her name. Why?"

"She's your fiancee, silly!" His mother replied.

Killian's jaw dropped at this. "I don't even remember proposing!" He said.

His parents looked at each other and Emma tried to pull away from Neal again before his father said, "There's only one way to explain this: he must have amnesia! I mean, the fall from the tracks made him hit his head hard enough to put him in a coma. Who knows what else it messed up?"

"Neal, come on," his mother ordered. "In light of what's happened, we should probably give the two lovebirds a chance to get reacquainted without us being in the way."

"All right," Neal said. He promised Emma he would come back for her once visiting hours were over, and then left, leaving Killian and Emma staring at one another awkwardly.

"So..." Emma said finally, "How are you feeling? Can I get you anything? Fluff your pillows, stuff like that?"

"No, thanks," Killian shook his head. "I'm fine. You know, I don't feel like I have amnesia, but I must. I think I'd remember being with someone as pretty as you." He smiled.

Emma blushed in spite of herself. "Thank you," she said.

Killian than began saying his ABCs, counting, and naming everything he could, from his kindergarten teacher to his college GPA, and he seemed sure that all the information was correct. And when the orderly came and plopped his lunch down in his lap, he said, "What's that?"

"It's turkey!" The orderly replied. "And mashed potatoes, and peas, and Jell-o."

Killian's eyebrows knitted. "Do I like Jell-o?" He asked.

"No one really does," Emma replied. "Trust me. I wouldn't eat it if I were you."

"Good to know," Killian smiled again and pushed the pile of lime mush away. "Thanks for the information."

"You're welcome," Emma replied. "Glad I could help."

* * *

><p>When Neal came to pick up Emma at the end of visiting hours, he found she was out of the room, so he gave his brother the ice cream he'd brought, and asked him about Emma. "So, what do you think about her?" He asked. "You like her?"<p>

"Well, yeah," Killian replied, sticking the spoon in the carton of fudge mint. "She's nice, you know? Like no woman I've ever met before. She wants to make me a better person. Turn over a new leave. I know I've lived sort of idly before, but not anymore. I'm gonna let everything from my days of debauchery go, and start again."

Just then, the door to the hospital room burst open and an angry brunette strode in and stomped over to Killian's bed. "Speaking of something from my days of debauchery," Killian whispered to Neal. "Here's the biggest thing."

"Scumbag!" The woman greeted Killian. "I've been calling you for _days_! Why haven't you been answering me?"

"Well, as you can see, Milah," Killian replied calmly, "I've been in the hospital since Christmas. I have amnesia."

"Oh, well that's rich!" Milah cried. "You're just trying to worm out of marrying me, aren't you?"

"He's engaged to someone else," Neal told her. "I'm sorry."

Milah's jaw dropped. "I don't believe that!" She yelled at Killian. "You...you...you proposed to _me_!"

"But you said 'No' and moved to Portugal," Killian reminded her. "You can't expect me to wait around for you forever."

"Well, when I left, I didn't think you'd go off and marry the first _bimbo_ you came across!" Milah shouted back.

"Emma's not a bimbo," Killian replied. "I think she'll be good for me. So you can just be on your way now. Well, first you have to give me my stuff back."

"What stuff?" Milah asked.

"I paid for that surgery on your nose," Killian reminded her. "That cost me a pretty penny if I remember correctly."

"Well, fine," Milah said, cupping her breasts. "And take these also. You paid for them too, you spineless bastard!" She then turned around and strode from the room, slamming the door behind her.

"Wow," Neal said in amazement, watching her go. "You_ really _dodged a bullet there. Emma's a wonderful girl."

"I know," Killian replied. "Lucky me, huh?"

* * *

><p>The encounter with Milah made Killian come to a decision, and when Emma came to visit him after he changed rooms in the hospital, he took her hand while she was sitting next to his bed and looked into her eyes. "Emma," he said, "I have something I want to ask you," he said.<p>

"Yeah, what is it?" Emma asked, trying to get to her feet. "Do you need anything?"

"No," Killian replied. "It's nothing you need to worry about. I just...I have something I want to ask you. I know we haven't known each other a long time, or maybe we have. I've allegedly got amnesia, so what do I know? Anyway, I've thought a lot about this, and...will you marry me?"

"What?" Emma asked, feeling a bit faint. "What did you say? It sounded like you just asked me to marry you."

"I did," Killian replied. "I may not remember a lot, or any of our life together, but what I do know is that my family loves you, and you seem nice, so why shouldn't we get married?"

"That-that's a very good question," Emma replied. "And I-I think..." She paused a long time, then finally said, "Yes, yes I'll marry you!" As soon as it came out of her mouth, she kind of regretted it. She and Neal had gotten close while Killian had been in the hospital, and in that time, Emma had begun to have feelings for him. But since he thought that she was engaged to Killian, there was no way he'd act on those feelings. This was really the best solution for everyone.

Killian smiled. "Thank you for saying 'Yes'," he told her, giving her a hug. "That makes me really happy."

"Well, you're welcome," Emma replied as Killian called his family in to tell them. "I'm happy too."

* * *

><p>"What's this?" Elsa asked as Emma plunked her and Killian's wedding invitation in her friend's hand.<p>

"It's a wedding invitation," Emma replied.

"Oh, really?" Elsa asked, eyebrow raised. "Whom are we marrying?"

"Killian Jones," Emma said, pointing it out on the invitation. "See?"

Elsa groaned. "Oh, no!" She cried. "Not the coma guy! I thought you were in love with his brother! Have you lost your mind?"

"Yeah, you know what? I have," Emma nodded. "I sit here at my booth every day. I go home to a cat. I haven't had a boyfriend in who knows how long. Now, a rich, handsome man has asked me to marry him and I have said 'Yes'. I'm a raving freaking lunatic!"

"That's not what I meant," Elsa replied. "I just think it's a little sudden, but if you're happy, who am I to judge?"

"Thank you," Emma replied. "That's better. This is really the only solution since Neal thinks I'm engaged. I'd never have a chance with him anyway."

Elsa looked down at the invitation again. "The wedding is tomorrow!"

"I know," Emma replied. "I wish it were today, though. Gonna be hard to wait until tomorrow. One more day of going through this stressful charade and then everything will be all better."

"Are you sure?" Elsa asked.

"Not really," Emma replied. "But I'm hoping."

* * *

><p>Despite the show of confidence for Elsa, Emma wasn't sure about what she was doing. When Neal stopped by to deliver a last minute wedding gift and wish her good luck, that finally gave her the resolve to do what she should have done a long time ago: Tell Killian's family the truth about how she'd gotten into their lives. The decision made, she felt a bit better, but it still made for a difficult night's sleep. She woke up on the morning of the wedding feeling horribly ill, and by the time she finished being sick and got ready, she was running late, which caused everyone at the hospital chapel to chatter amongst themselves.<p>

"What if she forgot it was today?" Killian and Neal's father asked his mother.

"Don't be silly!" His mother replied. "A woman doesn't forget her wedding day!"

"You doing all right?" Neal asked Killian.

"Yeah," Killian replied. "I'm fine. I think."

Finally, panting hard, Emma poked her head in the chapel. "Sorry," she apologized. "Didn't feel good this morning. Let's get rolling!"

The organ began to play and Emma made it a third of the way down the aisle before she realized she still had her coat on, so she had to walk back to the coat hooks, hang it up, and start over down the aisle, her stomach feeling more and more uneasy as she got closer and closer to the end of the aisle, until finally, as the minister began talking, she blurted out, "I object!"

"I haven't gotten to that part yet," he said in confusion.

"What's wrong?" Killian's father asked.

"I'm in love with your son," Emma got out, feeling tears rise up in her throat.

"Yeah, I know," his father replied.

Emma shook her head. "Not the one you think," she said, tears falling from her eyes. "The other one."

"Neal!" His father cried as Killian's jaw dropped a little. "What did you do?!"

"No, don't blame him," Emma shook her head. "It wasn't him. It was me! See, the truth is, I was never engaged to Killian. We'd never even formally met before that day on the tracks, and when I got to the hospital after saving his life, they wouldn't let me see him until someone told the doctor I was his fiancee. Only, it wasn't true. And I wanted to tell you, but then you were all so nice and welcoming, and let me be part of your family, and since it'd been so long since I've had that, I just...I didn't want it to end. So I'm sorry I lied, and I'm sorry I made a mess of things. I'm sorry."

As she strode out of the chapel, Milah strode in. "Killian Jones is engaged to me! I object to this wedding!"

"Get in line!" The minister told her. Then another man, well-dressed and leaning on a cane, strode in after her. "You object to this!" He cried. "And I object to your objection."

"Who's that?" Killian's mother asked.

"That's Milah's husband," Killian replied. "His name is Rumplestiltskin."

"You proposed to a _married_ woman?" His mother asked feeling faint. She passed out, and as arguments ensued, Neal headed out in search of Emma.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe that today is your last day," Elsa said, giving Emma a hug a week later. "I'm gonna miss you around here."<p>

"I'll miss you too," Emma replied. "And I promise to bring you back a present from Florence."

"Oh, you better!" Elsa replied. "And postcards, too!" She then headed back to her business and Emma began the mindless task of watching people drop their tokens in her slot before heading off to the train. Suddenly, instead of a token, a good-sized diamond ring was dropped in the slot and Emma looked up in shock, seeing Neal and his entire family smiling at her from the other side of the window.

"Oh, my god," she got out.

"Can I come in there?" Neal asked. "You know, you're one tough woman to locate."

"Get down on your knee!" His grandmother urged.

"He's proposing!" His father snapped. "Let him do it!"

"I _am _letting him do it!" His grandmother replied sharply.

"Well," Neal sighed. "Now that the surprise is ruined, can I come in there and ask you a question?"

"I can't," Emma replied. Neal felt his heart sink a little before she finished. "Not without a token."

He gave her a small smirk and then she let him and the rest of the family come into her booth so Neal could take her in his arms and kiss her. "Marry me?" He asked when they pulled apart.

"Yes," Emma nodded and kissed him again.

* * *

><p>Their wedding was pulled off a lot better than the first one, and as Emma waved goodbye to Neal's family from the back car of the train, she couldn't help thinking that she was now happier than she'd ever been in her life.<p>

After things had calmed down from her and Killian's disaster ceremony, Killian had asked her when she'd fallen in love with Neal.

"I have to thank you," she said. "It was you that brought Neal and I together. You having your accident and getting in the hospital."

"Well, good," Killian replied. "First decent thing I've done in awhile, really." He paused. "And as you are, in a way, my ex, would it be bad form for me to ask you and Neal to come to my house and have dinner with me and my new lady friend when you get back from your honeymoon? She's someone I'm serious about, I think."

"Sure, why not?" Emma replied. "I jilted you while you were in a coma. It's the least I can do."

"I'm just glad my brother's happy," Killian said with a smile. "And that you are too. You deserve that, Emma."

And as she leaned against Neal, she thought to herself, "Yes, I do deserve that. I deserve to be happy. And finally, I am."

**The End**


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